Tunisia records 27 per cent decrease in tourism revenues in Q1

Tunisia Monday posted 27 per cent slump in tourism revenues from the previous year as the country struggles to contain the covid-19 disease.

The figures, issued by the Central Bank of Tunisia, revealed that tourism revenues stood over the first quarter of the year at about $339,411,000.

The decrease in revenues occurs after a bounce from post 2015 terrorist attacks, which plummeted the industry, the second biggest contributor to the GDP.

The trend for the rest of the current year is set to be downwards as the central bank in April projected a loss in revenues estimated at $1.4 billion as result of ongoing covid-19 pandemic, which infected 1,043 people.

To contain the spread of the disease, authorities have closed various borders and imposed a lockdown preventing shops, hotels and several businesses to operate.

The government has however allowed from Monday garments shops to operate in the evening after breaking of the Ramadan fast till 11pm local times, online media Webdo Tunis reports.